Author Topic: Yorkshire Dales NP - 1970s public information film (PIF) - Do you remember it ?  (Read 12505 times)

Innominate Man

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Well here is a real challenge for those of you of a certain age.




During the early to mid 70s, in the heyday of PIF, there was one broadcast during school holidays or Saturday mornings which must have been for the National Park to drum up tourism.




I think it was in colour and it was based around images from the Yorkshire Dales showing Aysgarth Falls, a Land Rover going through a ford and I seem to remember a scene with two blokes in period costume having a sword fight in front of somewhere like Castle Bolton, plenty of other images also.
The other stand-out thing was the voice-over which was by Frank Windsor (of Softly, Softly fame) trying to do his best Yorkshire accent - ha, ha. He was waxing lyrically about place names that were old/ancient.




But here's the rub :- what I can remember but cannot find anything (and I mean anything) about, was the background/incidental music. It was the music that really ' haunted ' me and brought the whole film to life.
It worked for me, I began walking and haven't stopped since (not quite in that Forrest Gump sort of way).




It had that pastoral feel to it which suggests Vaughan-Williams or Britten, but was it from something classical or was it a piece composed specifically for the film ?




I am hoping that all you good people will at least know what film I am talking about as nearly everyone I dare mention this to (of my age and from the Region) don't even remember the film. So that would be a start, but if we have any real music officianados out there - even better.




So the question is what is the music that went with the film ?




And before I get an avalanche of quick - win suggestions - you wouldn't believe the lengths I have gone to for an answer - I do know about Oliver Slaney and one suggestion on another forum that it was his piece of music called 'Kidlington Green', and yes - I know you can now get all the PIF in CD sets. But not this film. There are clips on YouTube for the similar ' Cleveland Way ' film that was running at about the same time.






So come on walkers - thinking caps on.

Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

Peter

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There was me thinking 'wonder why I don't recall this?'..  :-\
It seems I'm older  :(  , I wasn't sat watching TV at this period.  :'(
I found the 'Cleveland Way' too.. but it isn't what you are looking for.
It is very lovely to look at the Dales on lovely summer days in these films.. little has changed apart from the 'kit' worn by hikers.
Peter
sometimes I fall off the learning curve....
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Innominate Man

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There was me thinking 'wonder why I don't recall this?'..  :-\
It seems I'm older  :(  , I wasn't sat watching TV at this period.  :'(
I found the 'Cleveland Way' too.. but it isn't what you are looking for.
It is very lovely to look at the Dales on lovely summer days in these films.. little has changed apart from the 'kit' worn by hikers.
What's that, isn't that the kind of clothing I should be wearing ?
Thanks Peter, seems I am still alone in the memory of this film or perhaps I wasn't actually sat watching the TV at all. Maybe my Mothers corned beef hash was less beef and more ......
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

Dessie

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Sadly I might have to confess to very vaguely remembering this when I was a bairn. Well at least remember my Dad (very keen on the dales) getting excited and making me watch. Did it have Ribblehead somewhere on it? Was there a guy in a red sweater?

But cant remember it much and certainly cant help with the music. (Am I getting confused with All Creatures Great and Small?) :-\




Innominate Man

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But cant remember it much and certainly cant help with the music. (Am I getting confused with All Creatures Great and Small?) :-\







You very well could be, but you are right - some of the scenes were similar to the opening credits on ACG&S. I think the PIF was on air before the vet thing happened.
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

simon rea

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I remember the programme. Ive been trying to find it for years myself. The two gents fighting with swords in large white shirts used to scare the pants off me.  :D :D :D
I thought I was the only one who remembered it.!!   

Innominate Man

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I remember the programme. Ive been trying to find it for years myself. The two gents fighting with swords in large white shirts used to scare the pants off me.  :D :D :D
I thought I was the only one who remembered it.!!
That's the one Simon - you remember it well.
Years ago I corresponded with the National Park office in Hawes who said they were to run an evening showing old films about the park and that one of them could be what I was looking for. All set for the trip up there one evening when mid-afternoon I got a call to say my son had been in an accident. Spent the next few days around a hospital so never got the opportunity.
It could be worth following up.
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

kitestu

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Just found this thread and can't help with the music, sorry, but can give some anecdotal stuff about the film (if we are on the same one..) I grew up in Airton and a close friend, Wilf Proctor, was a National park warden in the 60s and 70s. I spent some time one summer with him whilst he was involved in helping to make an information film. I can remember filming by the bridge at Austwick and also doing a clip walking over the packhorse bridge at Stainforth. Two blokes with small blond child walking between them - and this bit was actually used in the film. The small blond child was me! i think we spent some time at Kettlewell also but its all a bit hazy beyond that.

Innominate Man

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Just found this thread and can't help with the music, sorry, but can give some anecdotal stuff about the film (if we are on the same one..) I grew up in Airton and a close friend, Wilf Proctor, was a National park warden in the 60s and 70s. I spent some time one summer with him whilst he was involved in helping to make an information film. I can remember filming by the bridge at Austwick and also doing a clip walking over the packhorse bridge at Stainforth. Two blokes with small blond child walking between them - and this bit was actually used in the film. The small blond child was me! i think we spent some time at Kettlewell also but its all a bit hazy beyond that.
Darn ... so I know the name of someone who starred in the film but no nearer finding out about the music. Thanks for the info though - very interesting and it confirms it wasn't a figment of my imagination.
Now, you/your parents didn't manage to get a copy of the film by any chance ?
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

kinkyboots

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I think it was in colour and it was based around images from the Yorkshire Dales showing Aysgarth Falls, a Land Rover going through a ford and I seem to remember a scene with two blokes in period costume having a sword fight in front of somewhere like Castle Bolton, plenty of other images also.

Sounds like a very early episode of Emmerdale Farm to me.  ;D

So the question is what is the music that went with the film ?

And before I get an avalanche of quick - win suggestions - you wouldn't believe the lengths I have gone to for an answer - I do know about Oliver Slaney and one suggestion on another forum that it was his piece of music called 'Kidlington Green', and yes - I know you can now get all the PIF in CD sets. But not this film. There are clips on YouTube for the similar ' Cleveland Way ' film that was running at about the same time.

So come on walkers - thinking caps on.

Think you mean Ivor Slaney?

I assume you'll know it when you hear it so a wild stab in the dark.........is it anything on here http://www.dewolfemusic.com/search.php#!/?code=ezriCl&id=708020

Innominate Man

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Think you mean Ivor Slaney?

I assume you'll know it when you hear it so a wild stab in the dark.........is it anything on here http://www.dewolfemusic.com/search.php#!/?code=ezriCl&id=708020
Thanks KB, quite right it should have been Ivor.
I trawled through these clips which was a great find & thank you for going to the trouble. Still no trace of the tune I'm searching for though. I suspect it was an incidental piece composed specifically for the film.
I had hoped to discover that it was by a known composer. I'll keep looking and eventually somebody will know something  O0
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

Mel

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I'm fairly certain this isn't the one you're talking about but it's of the same ilk :
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2NnrKXOiys
 
 :)

Glyno

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(ever so) slightly off-topic, who remembers Reginald Mole-Husband showing us how to reverse a car into a tight space?

Innominate Man

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(ever so) slightly off-topic, who remembers Reginald Mole-Husband showing us how to reverse a car into a tight space?
I do  O0
Only a hill but all of life to me, up there between the sunset and the sea. 
Geoffrey Winthrop Young

Glyno

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Innominate Man... was the PIF that you're referring to narrated by Frank Windsor (of Z-Cars fame)?

 

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